


Earthly Tethers

by Ravenblossom



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: F/M, Mourning, Post Season 4, Regret, based on that picture of them as kids, was submitted for Red Lotus week years ago
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-17
Updated: 2018-02-17
Packaged: 2019-03-20 05:13:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13710576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ravenblossom/pseuds/Ravenblossom
Summary: Korra visits Zaheer in his cell and brings him a picture





	Earthly Tethers

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this years ago and posted it on tumblr for Red Lotus week. I figured I'd post it here. It's based on that picture in that art book of young Red Lotus. Although you'll have to imagine Ming Hua without arms.

Day after day he floated in his cell, his only contact with anyone were the guards that would bring food and water. But that was okay. He felt nothing, no happiness or sorrow or regret.

It was a surprise one day when the doors to his cell opened at an odd time and the avatar entered. He hadn’t expected her to visit him again, not after she had defeated Kuvira. She was no longer afraid of him. There couldn’t possibly be anything more that she needed.

“You’re back?”

She nodded.  “We found one of your old hide outs… and also this…” She presented a photograph. “I thought you might want it.” She looked around at his cell. “I mean, you are going to be stuck here for the rest of your life…”

Zaheer lowered himself to the ground and looked at the picture. It was an old photo of him and his friends. There was Ghazan holding his fists up, this had been shortly after his earth rumble days when he had been more arrogant and a bit of a braggart. Ming-Hua stood next to him with a bright smile, her face full, not thin and sickly like it had become after years in that prison.  And P’Li…

It had been years since he had seen her face. And there she was with her gentle smile. The last words she had said to him echoed through his mind.

 _“Get the avatar on the airship, I’ll deal with them.”_ It wasn’t “I love you.” Or “goodbye.” Her death was sudden, abrupt, not dramatic or drawn out like he had seen in plays or read in books, and no sweet last words to cherish.

He locked his eyes on the ground and tried to keep his composure. “I’m sorry, I can’t look at her.” Old emotions that he never expected to feel again came flooding back making him feel heavy.

He remembered his promise to her. _“No more running, no more prisons.”_ The only thing he ever wanted was to give her a world where she could be safe and happy. Not one where people abused their power over others and locked her away in prisons.

He wanted that for all of them. Ming-Hua and Ghazan deserved it too after the lives they lived.

“I can take it away if you want.” Korra pressed the picture against her.

He almost instinctively said yes, the picture would be nothing but a painful reminder of happier times, when they had hope for the future, that they would spend the rest of their lives together. But it was all he had left of her… of them.

“No… put it over there.” He glanced to the right side of the cell.

The photo was set far enough where he wouldn’t have to see it and within reach of the chains had he ever wanted to look.

The avatar didn’t stay any long, she had no reason. He doubted he’d ever see her again unless they ran into each other in the Spirit World.

Days passed and P’Li crept back into his mind, each time he was pulled to the ground and eventually he couldn’t maintain flight. He tried in vain to suppress it all wanting to go back to feeling nothing. But the more he tried to clear his mind of her, the more she continued to intrude his thoughts.

One time, he had a dream about her. It was just the two of the holding each other, and he could feel everything. Her body against his, her gentle embrace, the life he had once wanted. 

He woke up and reached for her only to grasp the air. His eyes opened to the green glow of the crystals within the empty cell.

Fed up with it all, he dragged his chains over to the photo and picked it up focusing on P'Li. Her smile made his heart ache once again. At sixteen her eyes were already worn and tired yet she was so happy. 

He touched her face, remembering her warmth, her smell, her voice, how suspicious she was when they had first met, and how she eventually allowed herself to get close to him, the day they took in Ghazan and later Ming-Hua, and how the four of them had become a family.

He recalled the day the picture was taken, so many years ago. Afterwards, Ming-Hua had run chasing after Ghazan, angry at something he had said. Whatever it was he could no longer remember. But P’Li had wrapped his arms around him and they laughed at the two, knowing full well that they had feelings for each other. Yet Ming-Hua was always too embarrassed to admit it.

The memories were painful yet comforting. His friends had been his world, his reason for everything that he had done. 

A single tear rolled down his cheek as he set the picture next to where he slept, where it would be the first thing he saw after waking up.


End file.
